


Apparition

by NoblehouseofTargaryen (Captain_Shep)



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins, dragon - Fandom
Genre: Angst, F/M, Temple of Sacred Ashes, but also fluff :3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-16
Updated: 2015-03-16
Packaged: 2018-03-18 03:52:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3555059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Shep/pseuds/NoblehouseofTargaryen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I'd always wondered why you never get a scene after you see your father in the Temple of Sacred Ashes - so here's my take on that, and some fluffy Cousland/Alistair</p>
            </blockquote>





	Apparition

Alistair notices her sorrow immediately, he never expected to be shown an image of her father, and obviously neither had she, based on her quivering lips and choked voice as she replied to her father. They trudged back to camp now, holding the pouch filled with Andraste’s ashes, but Alistair couldn’t bring himself to care, he was completely focused on her.

He watched as her shoulders dropped, her bright flaming hair had come unwound from its twin plaited buns, and now hung down her back in messy braids. He heard sniffling coming from her every so often as she trudged through the mud, her mabari whining and pressing himself closer to her when she let them sneak past her lips.

She’d never told him about her family’s deaths, but she could see the rage burning behind her eyes every time someone mentioned Howe. It was a quiet rage, one he’d come to see and expect from her over the months they’d been travelling. She burned silently, not wanting overshadow or overpower anyone else, smiling gracefully and taking each blow with a silent contempt he’d never seen in a woman before.

But Maker help anyone who crossed her.

She was unrelenting with her daggers, a dangerous weapon that slashed and whirled, never seen, never touched by the enemy. She’d been trained by the best, daughter of one of the most powerful families in Ferelden, he bites back a wince as he thinks the next powerful are the Theirin’s. 

Another sniffle rises from in front of him as they make it back to camp, she instantly trudges away to pull herself into one of the larger trees, disappearing into the darkness as her mabari sits below and looks up at her form, huddled against one of the thicker branches. 

He fights the urge to climb up after her like a fool and turns to make dinner, Wynne looking over his shoulder, worrying they’ll all get food poisoning. He brings a plate to her, calling out with no reply, he hears her hitching breaths and knows she’s sobbing. 

"My lady please come down." He calls up again, setting down her stew, whereupon her mabari instantly begins stuffing his greedy face. 

She’s silent before she calls back down in a haughty, annoyed tone. “Don’t call me that!” He chuckles immediately, a broad smile crossing his face at her indignant tone. He crosses his arms, still staring up at her shadowy figure balanced delicately in the trees. 

“Elissa please come down, Fenrir’s eaten pretty much all of your food… unless you want half eaten, dog slobbery stew… who knows, that could be your favourite meal for all I know. It’s not is it? Because I’m going to have a very hard time-“ he’s cut off by her launching herself from the tree, landing without so much as a wince onto the hard packed dirt. “Making… that.” he finishes slowly, looking at her tear stained cheeks in surprise. 

“Well?” she asks him, throwing her arms wide as if to ask him why he had her leap from her solace only to have him stare blankly at her. 

He scratches at his eyebrow, making a small clucking sound before chuckling to himself. “Well I honestly, didn’t think I’d get this far, soooooo…” She scoffs and turns, making to turn back to the tree and climb back up. “No! Wait!” he calls, catching at her wrist and pulling her back. 

He sighs deeply, looking down at her wide sky eyes, seeming to stretch on forever as she stared up at him, expectantly awaiting an answer. “Look.” he starts, pleading with her to stay. “I don’t know exactly what happened with your family, but I’ve managed to pick up things here and there… and I know about Howe killing them, about taking your home from you.” 

She searches his eyes slowly, running back and forth across his features curiously, narrowing them slightly to try to find some kind of joke behind his words, some kind of trick. But he knew she would find none within his words, nor his eyes. She must have been satisfied with his sentiment because he barely had time to register her bottom lip quivering, before she’d thrown herself into his arms, burrowing deep into his chest to muffle the soul wracking sobs that erupted from her body. 

His arms automatically came up to wrap around her, crushing her tight to his chest as she sobs, clutching the back of his linen tunic tight between her fingers. “He was r-right there Alistair! Right before me as if he’d never gone anywhere, it broke me, I can’t do this, can’t be one of the last Grey Wardens here I ca-“ 

He cuts her off by pulling her tighter into his embrace, turning and sinking against the tree, cradling her in his lap as Fenrir lays his head down in his masters lap, whining as she reaches out blindly, running her fingers through his fur. Alistair rubs his cheek against her soft hair, albeit a little grubby and ashen from the temple, but soft nonetheless. 

He begins humming an old lullaby his mother had sung to him as a child, running his hands in small circles as she cries, eventually, hours later when his legs are numb and his voice hoarse from singing and humming, she’s fallen asleep, her fingers still tangled in his shirt and her head lolled back against his shoulder. 

Wynne offers to take her back to her tent, but Alistair shakes his head, refusing to move despite his aching legs and full to bursting bladder. This is exactly where he wanted - needed - to be right now, she needed comfort, and he only found himself fit for the job. 

However, a small niggling voice at the back of his head curled around his fingers, forcing them to softly run across her back, pulling her closer, revelling in the feeling of her soft body beneath his hands.

**Author's Note:**

> Taken straight from my Tumblr :)


End file.
